Oes op one-thied to samuel baeeett



TINTTED STATES PATENT Ormea.

JAMES T. GORDON AND JOHN HENRY HAMILTON, OF CONCORD, N. H., ASSIGN- ORSOF ONE-THIRD TO SAMUEL BARRETT, OF SAME ILACE.

SLlDING-DOOR LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,048, dated July 6,1886.

Application filed May 10, 1886. Serial No. 201,681.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Beit known that we, JAMES T. GORDON and JOHN HENRY HAMrLroN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Concord, in the county of Merrimac andState of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sliding-Door Latchcs, of which the following is aspecification.

These i inproaemcnts relate more especially to a prior invention uponwhich we were granted a patcntin the United States numbered 336, 638,and bearing date the 23d day of February, 1886; and it consists incertain modifications, illustrated in the drawings filed herewith andforming part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation representing a section of a freight-car, towhich our improved latch is applied, as when locked and sealed. Fig. 2is a similar enlarged view with the outer plate removed. Fig. 3illustrates the position assumed by the device when unlatched.V

Similar refereuce'lettcrs indicate like parts.

A is the cardoor, suspended by means of rollers B I3 from a bar, C,affixed to the body of theV car, and arranged to slide back and forth inthe usual manner.

D is an eye-plate bolted to the car-doer substantially inthe positionshown, fora purpose hereinafter described.

Eis a housing for the latching device, secured to the canbody by anysuitable means.

F is the swiveled latch, pivoted to the housing E at G, and so formed asthat its principal weight may be located on that side of the pivot Gfarthest from the car-door. The latch is provided with a perforatedextension, f, for the reception of the bow of a padlock, S, as seen inFig. l. The lower part of the latch F is also provided with a recess, f,for the recept-ion of the eye of the plate D. The latch is also providedwith a shoulder, f2, against which rests a rotary dog, I-I, pivoted at7L to the housing E and the outer plate or cap-piece, E. Outside of thislatter the weighted arm H is properly secured to the shaft or pivot ofsaid rotary dog, by which said dog H may be operated. n

By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the position of thearm II relative to the dog H is such as to prevent the removal of theeye of the plate D from the recess j" of the latch F, and at the sametime, after having been lifted and swung back for the purpose (Nomodel.)

of releasing the eye-plate from the latch, it is readily adjustedautomatically by the reverse movement of the latch to that positionshown in Figs. l and 2. This result is attained by means of the weightedarm H', which is so attached to the shaft or pivot of the dog H as to-retain the said dog in either of the positions shown.

As in the case of our previous invention, above referred to, thisimproved latching device may be also sealed. For this purpose the ear fis provided upon the latch F at the proper point to enter between theears e e, formed upon the plate-piece E', and cach of the ears 7"3 c eis perforated to receive the Wire t' of the seal I.

Having described thefeatures of our iinprovement, what we claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a sliding-door fastening, the combina tion, with an eye-platesecured to the door, of a swiveled latch having a perforated fingerAadapted to automatically enter the eye in said eye-plate while saiddoor is sliding shut, and a rotary dog pivoted to thelateh-housing, andadapted to automatically fall against a shoulder formed upon saidswiveled latch and se cure said locking mechanism, substantially as andin the manner set forth.

2. In a car-door fastening, the combination, with the housing, of theplate-piece having perforated ears, the swiveled latch provided with aperforated ear adapted to be swung up by the latch between the ears ofsaid plate to form a coincident opening for the seal-wire, and thepivoted weighted dog for holding up said latch, as set forth.

3. A device for fastening car-doors, consisting of the housing E, thepivoted weighted dog H, the swiveled latch F, provided with shoulder f2,perforated ingerf, and perforated earfi, the eye-plate D, and theplate-piece E', having ears e c, perforated'to form a coincident openingwith that in ear-f, for receiving the seal-wire, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix on rsi gnatures in presence of twowitnesses.

J AMES T. GORDON. JOHN HENRY HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

J. B. THURsroN, FRANK S. STREETER.

